Illegal downloaders in Japan to lose Internet access
Illegal downloaders in Japan will be cut off from the Internet from their ISP providers according to a new plan being developed.
Japanese companies plan to cut off the Internet connection of anyone who illegally downloads files in one of the world’s toughest measures against online piracy, a report said Saturday.Faced with mounting complaints from the music, movie and video-game industries, four associations representing Japan’s Internet service providers have agreed to take drastic action, the Yomiuri Shimbun said.
The newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, said service providers would send e-mails to people who repeatedly made illegal copies and terminate their connections if they did not stop.
The Internet companies will set up a panel next month involving groups representing copyright holders to draft the new guidelines, the report said.
The counterfeit market in Japan is listed at $75 billion.
The music piracy market is listed at $4.5 billion.